Until There Was You

Running In Circles

11. 

"How am I going to live without you for four weeks?" Lauren cried over-dramatically. Joey laughed at her as she placed the back of her hand on her head and mimed fainting over FaceTime. It was the day before Joey was due to fly home for the summer and the pair were discussing their plans. Lauren was going to fly out to meet him in a couple of weeks time but she was making a pit stop in New York first.

"It's not four consecutive weeks," Joey grinned, "You'll live you big baby."

"Oh I'm glad you're not worried about the future of our friendship," She replied sarcastically.

"Distance makes the heart grow fonder," He laughed as she rolled her eyes.

"I'm already too fond of you as it is." She shuffled backward on her bed and Joey noticed she still had the card he had included in her roses on her bedside table.

"You don't have to go and visit Darren," He suggested only half joking, "You know my Mum would be more than happy to have you at ours for an extra week."

"Or you could come to New York with me?" She said with a yawn. It was late and Joey had just finished the last of his homework before he had to fly to LA the following day. They had spent the entire day together yesterday just hanging out and most of today had been spent packing over FaceTime.

"It would be weird," He replied with a sigh. As much as he would love to visit Darren he didn't think he'd be able to do it with Lauren. Those two had so much history it would just be too weird.

"You know we're still only friends right? And that I'm staying at a hotel? And that I'm going to wish you were with us every second of every day?"

"Lo, I wasn't even thinking about that," He sighed, even though it had been that exact thought that had made him decide to stay in LA he certainly wasn't going to tell her that. He thought she looked a little disappointed for a moment but then it was gone, replaced by a smile. "Besides, you won't miss me! You'll be having too much fun at all these parties with famous people to remember little old Joey."

"Oh shut up," She rolled her eyes, "I'm only there for three days and then it's back to Michigan."

"I really don't know why you don't just fly out to us earlier,"

"Don't you want to spend time with your parents?" She asked.

"There's plenty of time for that when you're with yours."

"I suppose," she trailed off, "what about your friends back home?"

"If you don't want to come out earlier just say so," Joey laughed and Lauren shook her head.

"It's not that, I just don't want you to get sick of me."

"Lauren we just spent ten minutes talking about how much we're going to miss each other,"

"Ugh don't remind me," Lauren groaned, "Do you promise to be at the end of the phone when I need you?"

"Of course,"

"And do you promise that I can still sleep in your bed even when you're in LA?"

"I'd love you to,"

"And do you promise to FaceTime me every single day?"

"Lo, I promise that the world is not going to stop revolving because we're apart. We're going to be fine and if anything it'll make us appreciate the time we have together even more. When we come back from the summer it'll be your last year at Michigan before you graduate."